


Love and War

by breathe_out



Category: Call of Duty (Video Games)
Genre: Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Game: Call of Duty, Love, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-01
Updated: 2020-07-01
Packaged: 2021-03-04 20:54:24
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 940
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25012741
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/breathe_out/pseuds/breathe_out
Summary: Soap and Price share one last night together before they raid Shepherd’s hideout.
Relationships: John "Soap" MacTavish/John Price
Comments: 2
Kudos: 26





	Love and War

It was past midnight when he decided to wander outside. Rest had eluded him for several days, since his comrades were ruthlessly murdered. His restless mind had prevented him from sleeping soundly. The afternoon’s sticky humidity had cooled considerably. The air chilled his bare arms and burned his lungs. Soap settled on a nearby boulder that overlooked a vast desert valley. He and Price would continue their trek tomorrow. Shepherd’s hideout was only miles away now. They would reach it before sundown and storm the base by themselves. It was a one-way trip to sate their craving for revenge. 

They were not expecting to survive the raid.

Soap tried to swallow the lump in his throat. His eyes stung with hot, unshed tears. He tilted his face up toward the night sky. The stars shone brightly around a full moon, illuminating the desert with its iridescent silver light. A soft breeze brushed against his skin and made him shiver. 

For the millionth time in the past several days, he went over the string of events that had lead to Simon and Gary’s untimely deaths. Thinking about it kept his anger alive, like he was continually stoking a raging fire. But tonight, it only made him feel incredibly sad. Memories of quiet nights spent with his team made his chest ache with terrible guilt. He clutched his hands together on his lap and hunched over like a beaten dog. Killing Shepherd would be incredibly satisfying, but it would never bring back the lives that were lost. 

“John?” 

Soap flinched when he heard Price’s gruff voice. The man had snuck up behind him while he’d been lost in his thoughts. Price approached him with a thin blanket in his hand. Soap looked away as Price draped it over his shoulders. He wasn’t aware of how cold he was until the fabric began to warm his bare arms. 

Price sat by him on the rock without a word. A heavy, knowing silence hung between them. Soap couldn’t bare to look at his lover. It was far too late to turn back on the mission. They had sworn to do it together. All their efforts against the military would culminate into a bloodbath tomorrow. Whether they lived no longer mattered, as long as Shepherd died in the end. 

He hoped that they lived, although he would never admit so aloud. 

Soap’s unfocused gaze snapped to attention when Price’s strong, calloused hand covered his own. Price was gazing at him softly. Soap unclenched his hands to entwine their fingers together. His grip was a physical anchor that kept his overworked brain at bay. He exhaled heavily, feeling as if the weight of the world was on their shoulders. 

“Can’t sleep?” 

Price shook his head. “Not tonight – not without you.” 

Soap managed a small smile, although it lacked its usual joy. He opened his mouth to speak, but the words were jammed in his throat. He couldn’t properly convey the hurt, worry, and rage stirring inside him. It bothered him, especially since this could very well be their last night together.

He averted his eyes; there was an overwhelming sadness in his heart. Price, somehow, seemed to understand. He scooted closer to Soap, until they were leaning against each other. They were holding each other so tightly, as if either of them could disappear in an instant. Soap’s breath rattled with barely constrained tears. 

“We’re going to kill him.” Soap said with finality. 

Price nodded. “Together.”

“What if this kills us?” Soap whispered. 

There is was: the fear that they had both known from the very beginning. Price finally turned to face him, meeting his eyes with an intensity that made Soap’s heart beat faster. 

“Then we’ll die together.” Price whispered. 

Tears trekked down Soap’s cheeks. He couldn’t bare to contain them any longer; his exhaustion ran far too deep to care. Price leaned forward to gently press his lips against Soap’s. They moved softly together, with a tenderness that conveyed so much love and adoration. The moment held a fragility that spoke volumes in the silent night.  
Their rage dissipated as raw affection took its place. When they parted, Soap leaned his forehead into Price’s and simply breathed him in. Their lashed brushed against each other. The scent of cigar smoke and sweat lingered on his lover’s skin. Even in the cool night air, their t-shirts still clung to their backs and torsos. 

Soap kissed him again, more intensely this time. He felt an abrupt urgency that fueled him to pull Price into a passionate embrace. He had the desperate need to spend one last night showing Price just how grateful he was for him. Every single moment that they had shared together as friends and lovers had at last coalesced. They only had mere hours to spend together before they had to break camp and face their enemies. 

Each second had become increasingly precious. Soap’s fingers tugged at the older man’s clothes as he deepened the kiss. Price smiled and pulled back slightly to catch his breath. Soap was surprised to see that his eyes were wet with tears. They retreated to their makeshift tent to lie down together under their only blanket. They relaxed into the gentle ebb and flow of physical pleasure that they were accustom to. They reaffirmed their love for one another with delicate touches and softly spoken words.

Afterward, when their naked bodies were melded together under the stars, they finally found sleep. Tomorrow, they would face death. Tonight they simply relished the remaining time they had together. 

They were trapped in a precarious dance of love and pain.

**Author's Note:**

> Title is based on the song that inspired this, “The Mighty Rio Grande” by This Will Destroy You. It’s 4 am so I’ll edit it later.


End file.
